Photostructured Optical Devices and Methods for Making Same

ABSTRACT

A photostructurable ceramic is processed using photostructuring process steps for embedding devices within a photostructurable ceramic volume, the devices including chemical, mechanical, electronic, electromagnetic, optical, and acoustic devices, all made in part by creating device material within the ceramic or by disposing a device material through surface ports of the ceramic volume, with the devices being interconnected using internal connections and surface interfaces.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is related to the following co-pendingapplications: “Photostructured Chemical Devices and Methods for MakingSame,” application Ser. No. ______, filed Jan. 13, 2010;“Photostructured Mechanical Devices and Methods for Making Same,”application Ser. No. ______, filed Jan. 13, 2010; “PhotostructuredElectrical Devices and Methods for Making Same,” application Ser. No.______, filed Jan. 13, 2010; “Photostructured Magnetic Devices andMethods for Making Same,” application Ser. No. ______, filed Jan. 13,2010; and “Photostructured Acoustic Devices and Methods for MakingSame,” application Ser. No. ______, filed Jan. 13, 2010. The entirety ofeach aforementioned application is hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention generally relates to the fields of photostructurableceramics. More particularly, the inventions relate to devices disposedin photostructurable ceramic volumes and methods for making the same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Microelectronics and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) developmenthas demonstrated that the miniaturization of complex instruments anddevices is feasible when subsystems can be miniaturized and integratedon a common platform. This miniaturization and integration have openedvarious markets, such as a worldwide market in telecommunications toprovide instant and direct information to the user of a hand helddevice. This growing MEMS industry is evolving to further integratedevices, such as photonic devices onto a common platform. The insertionof photonic devices, for example, has at least two advantages. First,miniaturized components provide for an increase in the data transferbandwidth. Second, the insertion of photonic devices enables thedevelopment of a variety of miniature analytical instrumentation thatutilize optical spectroscopy for precision sensing such as that used inbiological assay and chemical applications. The miniature analyticalinstrument application area, also called micro total analysis systems(μ-TAS), is perceived to be a growing industry. In any integratedinstrument, the intelligence and memory are aptly handled bymicroelectronics fabrication technology. If the instrument requiressensing or control, then MEMS technology has been shown to besuccessful.

Many miniaturized devices can be developed using MEMS fabricationtechnologies for making small structures and devices, such aselectromagnetic antennas, electronic capacitors, chemical reactors,mechanical motors, optical filters, and acoustic sensors, among a vastarray of possible devices. The further integration of these devices ontoa common platform requires an ability to make three-dimensionalinterconnections among these devices or a mix of devices. The existingapproaches to fabricating electrical conducting structures are confinedto structures in two dimensions. In so doing, two-dimensional patternmetallization processing technology can be used, such asmicroelectronics lithography. However, some devices do not work as wellin two dimensions, such as high frequency antennas and transformers. So,the MEMS industry circumvents these limitations imposed by thetwo-dimensional metallization by stacking a sequence of two-dimensionalelectrically conducting patterns on insulating material and electricallyconnecting the stacks with patterned vertical vias. This assembly is nota true three-dimensional structure. However, the repetitivetwo-dimensional approach works well for laying out multilevel conductinglines, but has limitations when more complex three-dimensionalelectrical conducting structures are to be fashioned, such as withcoils, inductors, and horn antennas where curvature is used to enhanceefficiency. In the cases where complex high aspect ratio microelectricalstructures are to be constructed, there are processing techniques forpatterning metallization in true three dimensions.

In these three-dimensional processing approaches, the designedstructures may have micrometer features or lengths that are in thesubmillimeter scale so as to require careful handling after release. Tocircumvent failure as a result of handling, there are deviceencapsulation and packaging techniques to electrically insulate andprotect these small delicate structures. However, most of the processingapproaches use a conformal spray or coating approach. These approachesmay risk destroying the fragile device as a result of surface tensionforces during the drying phase, such as with induced stresses. If thedevice survives the drying phase, the device is then susceptible todamage during the instrument development phase when the structure ordevice must be inserted or placed onto the platform by an automated pickand place machine. The potential for damage is also present when thesefragile small devices are connected, such as by wire bonding andsoldering, to an adjoining electrical unit using an electricalinterface.

Photostructurable glass ceramic materials are used to make internalstructures having internal functional surfaces defined during aphotostructuring process. An entire volume is made of photostructurablematerial. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,783,920, by Livingston et al.,entitled Photosensitive Glass Variable Laser Exposure Patterning Method,issued Aug. 31, 2004; U.S. Pat. No. 6,932,933, by Helvajian et al.,entitled Ultraviolet Method of Embedding Structures in Photocerams; andU.S. Pat. No. 6,952,530, by Helvajian et al., entitled Integrated GlassCeramic Systems, issued Oct. 4, 2005 teach the processing ofphotostructurable materials for making structures within aphotostructurable volume. U.S. Pat. No. 6,830,221, by Janson et al.,entitled Integrated Glass Ceramic Spacecraft, issued Dec. 14, 2004,teaches the encapsulation of the various devices within a glass ceramicvolume which consists of several separate glass housing parts. However,a problem with such encapsulation is a required number of housingcomponents integrated as a singular housing. These patents generallyteach embedding photostructurable structures within a ceramic volumewhere the structures and volumes are all made of the photostructurablematerial. The encapsulation problem is similar to plastic injectionmachines where the two halves of a mold are pressed together, and hotplastic is injected through an injection port and conduit runners tocavities defining a desired plastic part.

The photostructurable glass ceramics are a class of materials that maybe patterned in two dimensions by masks and lithography or in threedimensions by laser direct-write processing patterning. The patterningprocess may entail the site selective photo exposure of the materialafter which the material may undergo a baking step to realize theexposure effects. With a certain bake protocol, there is the in-situgrowth of a crystalline phase in the exposed regions. For a specificprotocol, the crystalline material is found to be etchable in dilutehydrofluoric acid, while for another bake protocol, it is not etchable.The etchable crystalline phase can be etched in excess of 30-50 timesfaster than the unexposed material and thereby allows for patternedstructures to have aspect ratios that can exceed 50:1.

The prior photostructurable manufacturing processes do not provide aprocessing approach by which delicate structures and devices can bedisposed in the volume for enabling functional interconnectionsfashioned within a protective volume. These and other disadvantages maybe solved or reduced using the invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention includes a fabrication process that uses process steps toform internal structures within a photostructurable volume and processsteps to create device material within the volume resulting in anintegrated device including an embedded device within thephotostructurable volume. The internal structures can be created byforming plumbing within the volume using the photostructurableprocesses. The plumbing includes any internal or surface empty processedvolumes that can be made through photostructuring. The plumbing can beenhanced by acid treatments. The plumbing includes cavities, vias,tanks, voids, gaps, wells, bubbles, tubes, spheres, tunnels, plates,coils, feedthroughs, guides, and apertures, among many other possiblestructures. Note that the plumbing is not necessarily a construct thatincludes a void.

The device material may be created within the volume in two primaryways. The volume has on its surface a port or an interface through whicha device material is communicated for depositing the device materialinto the plumbing. The ports and interfaces may be used for an externaloperable interface connection. The device material may be deposited bypressure insertion into the plumbing. The insertion method may vary. Forexample, the insertion of the device material may be by extrusion, or,for another example, by liquid hydraulic action through a surface port.The device material may also be created within the plumbing by exposureprocessing of a plumbing portion for in situ transformation of thephotostructurable material into the device material. Hence, in oneaspect, the device material may be created by insertion and in the otheraspect, the device material may be created by the transformation of aselective material volume in situ, but with the device material havingoperative characteristics beyond the material property of thesurrounding ceramic photostructurable volume. For example, to create thedevice material by insertion, an electronically conducting liquidpolymer, such as polypyrole or polyaniline, is applied by liquidhydraulic action through a surface port into a plumbing cavity. Inanother aspect, direct selective in situ precipitation of a conductingcrystalline phase of the photostructurable material within the glass andceramic material creates an in situ conductor. Thus, two approaches maybe used to pattern elements and devices within a ceramic volume therebyenabling the fabrication of complete subsystems in solitary form or inintegrated arrays that are naturally encapsulated within the insulatingvolume. Both insertion and exposure internal transformation processingapproaches are amenable to the use of mass production tooling, such asinjection molding, and laser direct-write processing that addresses theneed for miniaturized and protected systems that require interfacing,but yet are amenable to manipulation by automated pick and placemachines.

The methods enable the three-dimensional fabrication of complexcomponents that are sealed within a ceramic material. Advantageously,while the structures and the three-dimensional interconnects aredelicately fashioned with aspect ratios that can exceed 50:1, thesefragile integrated units are contained in a block of electricallyinsulating glass or ceramic material that can have the shape of a die orhave the convenient dimensions of a chip carrier package. The volumebecomes the package, which not only insulates the embedded devices orstructures, but also allows for ease of handling without causing damageto small devices.

The method allows for the design and true three-dimensional fabricationof structures that could have feature sizes down to 50 microns or less(for some commercially made photostructural glasses or ceramics) and anoverall size scaling to square meters or larger. Furthermore, theinvention also allows the possibility for fabricating stacked arrays ofelectrically conducting microstructures for microinstrumentapplications. Regardless of the specific nature of the devicefabricated, the resulting part is encapsulated in a glass or ceramicmedium volume that is resistant to the natural environment, to manycaustic chemicals, and can operate at elevated temperatures. These andother advantages will become more apparent from the following detaileddescription.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of various process steps used to embed a devicein a photostructurable ceramic volume, in accordance with an exampleembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a chemical device disposed in aphotostructurable ceramic volume, in accordance with an exampleembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a mechanical device disposed in aphotostructurable ceramic volume, in accordance with an exampleembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device disposed in aphotostructurable ceramic volume, in accordance with an exampleembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an electromagnetic device disposed in aphotostructurable ceramic volume, in accordance with an exampleembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of an optical device disposed in aphotostructurable ceramic volume, in accordance with an exampleembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an acoustic device disposed in aphotostructurable ceramic volume, in accordance with an exampleembodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 8A-8C are schematic diagrams of embodiments of acoustic devicesdisposed in a photostructurable ceramic volume, in accordance with anexample embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the invention is described with reference to thefigures using reference designations as shown in the figures. Referringto FIG. 1, block 10, a three dimensional (3D) volume ofphotostructurable glass or ceramic material is first processed by laserexposure to define plumbing within the 3D volume. The plumbing can takeany desired cavity shape and can be oriented in any direction, such asin vias, tanks, voids, gaps, spheres, tunnels, bubbles, tubes, conduits,plates, coils, feedthroughs, guides, and apertures, among many otherpossible vacated structures.

The plumbing can include vacated portions that do not function as mereconduits, but as optional cavities performing a desired function, asdescribed in block 70. For example, a tank can be used as an operationalreceptacle for any operational device material during operational use.The volumes can be processed for creating internal empty volumes thatthen become internal operational structures, such as a surface grating(e.g., optical or mechanical).

The plumbing can remain as structured and patterned voids or it maycontain a device material, as described in block 30. Furthermore,portions of the plumbing can be filled with a device material disposedin an operational empty cavity. After the plumbing is defined by laserexposure and chemical etch processing for creating voids, devicematerial is disposed into the empty volumes of the plumbing. Thedeposition of the device material may be done by inserting the devicematerial from outside of the volume to inside of the volume and into theplumbing. The device material can be inserted into the plumbing. Analternative way of creating the device material in the volume is toprocess a portion of the plumbing volume so as to change the materialcharacteristic of the processed ceramic in the volume plumbed. As such,the device material can be inserted material or the device material canbe processed material made from selected processing of the ceramicmaterial. The device material can be made in situ by selected enhancedprocessing of a portion of the ceramic material. In either case, adevice material is created in the volume defined by the plumbing.

After the device material is created in the volume, a preferredinterface may be created, as described in block 40. The interface istypically a structure that connects the volume to the surfaces. Theinterface can be a bonding pad, for example, where the plumbing at thesurface is in the form of a void pad that is then filled with aninterfacial inserted material, such as gold, for making a gold bondingpad for an electrical connection to an internal device made frominternal inserted material or processed material.

The device can be prepared using additional preparation steps asdesired, as described in block 50. These additional preparation stepsmay include, for example, globally annealing the volume, locally bondingthe device material, locally activating the device material, and locallyreleasing the device material. Annealing is typically used to strengthenthe volume and the device material or to smooth internal cavity surfacesif they exist. Bonding is typically used to interconnect the volume andmaterial to the outside external devices such as generators anddetectors. Local activation is typically used to activate a material foroperational use, such as by chemical, optical or magnetic treatment.Releasing is typically used to free a portion of the device materialwhen used as part of a mechanical device having a free moving internalpart. The device can be processed several times and in a various orderof steps. For example, a first plumbing cavity is made and then isfilled with a first inserted material, and then, a second plumbingcavity is made and then filled with a second inserted material. In thismanner, complex devices can be made within the volume using variousmaterials in respective, iterative process steps. After the volume iscompletely fabricated at block 60, the volume can be cleaned, inspected(at block 70), interfacially connected, and packaged (block 80), whichmay require for example, bonding the volume to a package, such as a dualin-line package.

The desired patterned volume may be converted to have electricalconduction properties in exposed plumbing in the volume either by maskand UV lithography for two-dimensional (2D) processing or via UV laserdirect-write pattern processing technology in 3D. The embedded plumbingcan be patterned by controlling pulsed UV laser power within the focusedexposure volume to allow exposure only within a voxel (e.g., a volumeelement) and not elsewhere.

The inserted material can be conductive. When a high degree ofelectrical conduction with low resistivity is required, then in additionto the embedded plumbing pattern, additional via holes may be patternedto allow the embedded plumbing to come in contact with and be processedby a chemical etchant. The exposed pattern is baked to produce anetchable crystalline phase in the exposed regions. The volume ischemically etched in dilute hydrofluoric acid, which results in thefabrication of plumbing cavities in the desired 2D or 3D patterns. Theseembedded cavities are connected to the surface through the chemicaletched paths in the plumbing. The plumbing of embedded cavities is thenfilled with a conducting material that either has electricalconductivity or can be converted to have electrical conductivity using atreatment process. In the former case, a conducting paste at the rightviscosity for the patterned channel widths can be used along withextrusion manufacturing tooling and processes. The paste is forced intothe channels by applied pressure typically through hydraulic action. Inthe case of a paste, the manufacturing process ends with a globalannealing low temperature bake at 100° C. that cures conducting paste.In the latter case, a photosensitized conducting polymer, such as apolyaniline with dopants, is forced into all the cavities. UV light isapplied to induce polymerization either through direct-write patterningor through flood exposure followed also by a low temperature bake.

Electromagnetic devices can be made for use in the radio frequencydomain. The need for high electrical direct current conductivity may notbe paramount. In this case, the exposed and patterned sample is baked toproduce a nonetchable crystalline phase referred to as the hightemperature crystalline phase in the patterned plumbing. In this case,the material in the exposed regions (that is, in the high temperaturecrystalline phase) has a lower loss tangent having lower RF losses, incomparison to the surrounding unexposed glass. The processed ceramicportion of the patterned plumbing becomes operational processed materialwithin the volume. Regardless of the bake protocol used, the resultingvolume consists of a glass ceramic package that can be cut into adesired shape for ease of handling. Embedded into this volume is a 3Dpatterned structure or arrays of interconnected structures. Theseembedded devices can have patterned electrical feed through that end atthe surface as an interface to allow for surface connections. Thesurface can have mounting features for packaging the volume; forexample, a ball grid array mounting scheme.

The created material in the plumbing can have various chemical,mechanical, electronic, magnetic, optical, and acousticalcharacteristics. A variety of examples can be shown, but forconvenience, a chemical device, a mechanical device, an electronicdevice, a magnetic device that may be an electromagnetic device, anoptical device, and an acoustical device are described.

Referring to FIG. 2, a chemical device 200 can be made from disposing acatalyst within the volume. A top chamber is connected through a topconduit to a surface top port. A bottom chamber is connected through abottom conduit to a surface bottom port. The top and bottom conduits arefluidic conduits for creating a chemical reaction in the catalyst. Apositive conductor to the catalyst is made by inserting a conductingmaterial through a positive port and a positive conduit. A negativeconductor to the catalyst is made by inserting a conducting materialthrough a negative port and a negative conduit. The positive top andnegative bottom conductors respectively have a positive top interfaceand a negative bottom interface. Fluids and gases may enter and exit thetop and bottom chambers through the top and bottom ports and conduitsleading to the catalyst that may be controlled by an electrical signalbetween the top and the bottom conductors. The positive and negativeinterfaces may be disc-shaped cavities filled with gold for electricalbonding.

An embedded chemical device comprises a photostructurable ceramic volumeencapsulating plumbing. The ceramic volume includes an interface on asurface of the ceramic volume. The ceramic volume includes one or moreports and port conduits. The ceramic volume is a homogeneous volume ofunexposed photostructurable ceramic material encapsulating the devicematerial. The ceramic volume is a contiguous volume comprising thesurface interface for communicating a chemical. The device material isdisposed in the plumbing. The embedded device material forms a chemicaldevice. Typically, a port conduit is plugged at least in part by thedevice material. In operation, a chemical is communicated along a pathin the plumbing within the embedded chemical device. A chemical iscommunicated along a path in the plumbing to interact with the embeddedchemical device. A chemical may be supplied by an external chemicalsource, such as a gas source, or may be generated by the devicematerial. The chemical device may comprise one or more of sensors,detectors, separators, activators, neutralizers, and/or filters, withthe chemical device interacting with the chemical. The interaction maybe one of reaction, radiation, alteration, reception, explosion,neutralization, activation, transmission, and/or absorption of thechemical.

After the fabrication of the encapsulating plumbing around a cavitywithin the photostructurable ceramic volume, a chemical in the form of apaste, liquid, or gas can be admitted into the cavity. A form ofoptically excited chemical sensor can be manufactured when the chemicalis light sensitive and changes transmission. The change in transmissioncan be measured and the device monitored by a light beam passing throughthe photostructurable glass ceramic volume. By arraying the cavityvolumes, different chemicals can be placed in each volume where each hassensitivity to different wavelengths. Detectors are placed behind eachembedded volume containing the selected chemical. At the correctwavelength, such as UVA or UVB for biological needs, when present, theillumination changes the transmission properties of the chemical. Theoptical transmission change may be measured by an external detector.

Another form of chemical sensor can be manufactured where the chemicalplaced in the embedded volume is sensitive (that is, the device changesproperties) to external chemicals in the form of gas or liquids thatcome in contact with the embedded chemical. The external chemicals comeinto contact with the embedded chemical through the encapsulatingplumbing channels and conduits that were used to make the embeddedvolume. An array of chemical sensors can be made by making many embeddedcavities each connected through conduits to external ports with cavitiesfilled with different chemicals, such as a series of different polymersthat have different sensitivity to different toxic chemicals.

As another example, a liquid containing a series of chemicals is broughtin the vicinity of an arrayed device. The liquid enters each conduit andwhen the right chemical, such as cancer causing Toluene, is present, theentering chemical will alter the property of the embedded chemical. Thischange in property can be measured by measuring, for example, theelectrical resistance through the chemical, the heat generated through areaction, the change in optical properties or a volume change, whichcould be measured by electrical capacitance. The arrayed device canbecome a complex sensor capable of detecting a variety of chemicals.

A form of chemical reactor can be manufactured where the embedded volumecavity in the photostructurable ceramic volume is filled with anexplosive chemical that is exploded when activated by light comingthrough the ceramic volume, by vibration of the ceramic volume, or byexciting chemicals coming into contact with the explosive chemical. Theexcitable chemicals can be admitted into the embedded cavity through theports and conduits. The microexplosion can be detected by opticalemission, by acoustic emission detected by a microphone, by the releaseof gas or chemicals, or by inducing a torque force on an embeddedmicrostructure, such as a plate or cantilever, that is embedded withinthe cavity that moves as a result of the microexplosion.

A form of chemical reactor can be manufactured where the embedded volumeis serviced by two or more sets of conduits through which differentchemicals flow and react in the embedded cavity volume. The reactedchemicals then flow into another exit conduit for additional analysis,storage, or chemical processing.

A chemical trap can be manufactured where the embedded volume ispartially filled with a chemical that reacts with a desired chemical.The reaction product is trapped in the volume, and the remainingfiltered chemical flows into an exit conduit for additional analysis.For example, a complex, miniature, and fully integrated chemicalchromatography instrument can be manufactured.

A chemical filter can be manufactured where the embedded volume isconnected with an input and output conduit. The center of the embeddedvolume that separates the input and output conduits may be a thin 50micron wall structure that is patterned with microholes or structuresthat remove particles in the input liquid by physically trapping it at afilter wall. The wall may have patterned microstructures that are toosmall for liquid to pass as a result of surface tension forces butenable the evaporated gas to pass through and thereby make a liquid togas separator or filter.

A biological material filter can be manufactured similar in design tothe chemical filter except that the embedded walls have patterns thatare designed to cut or induce lysis to cellular matter releasing thegenetic material within, which flows through an output conduit and trapsthe gutted cellular matter.

A form of biological and chemical device can be manufactured that uses aDC or AC electric field. Three stacked and embedded volumes aremanufactured each with input and output conduits. The center embeddedvolume is used to transfer chemicals, gases, and liquids. The outer twoembedded volumes are filled with a conducting paste or low temperature,such as less than 450° C., melting metal. The paste and the metal areallowed to harden and cool. Electrical contacts are attached to theconducting volumes, and a high voltage is applied between the twoconducting volumes to establish an electric field that will permeate thecenter conducting volume. As the center conducting volume is filled witha material, such as a liquid, solid, or gas, it will be under theinfluence of the electric field. The electric field could be used toseparate ions in a liquid form in the center volume or move the liquidby electrophoresis and electrokinetic phenomena, to induce apolarization in a solid, such as poling nonlinear optical materials orionizing gases.

Referring to FIG. 3, a mechanical device 300 can be made from a disposedpiston within the volume. In a first set of illustrative process steps,a right port, right conduit, piston port, piston conduit, and piston maybe plumbed, and device material is inserted in the piston cavity throughthe piston conduit. In a second set of illustrative process steps, acylinder, left conduit, top conduit, bottom conduit, left port, rightport, and bottom port may be plumbed and evacuated. The top and bottomports may be plugged with an inserted material. The piston can then moveleft to right due to gas or fluid pressure between the left port andright port. A mechanical device is characterized as having a movingpart. A release well is a cavity that is used to collect debris forablating material in the release conduit so as to free the piston formotion within the cylinder.

The device material may form at least part of a mechanical device. Themechanical device can comprise one or more of springs, diaphragms,latches, gears, motors, resonators, and/or dampers. The mechanicaldevice interacts with a mechanical force. The interaction may compriseone or more of translation, rotation, flexion, reception, transmission,and/or absorption of mechanical force. A mechanical force iscommunicated along a path in the plumbing within the embedded mechanicaldevice. The mechanical force may be supplied by an external mechanicalforce source, such as a mechanical compressor for providing gas pressurefor moving the piston.

An embedded mechanical device comprises a photostructurable ceramicvolume encapsulating plumbing and a device material disposed in theplumbing. The device material may be a mechanical material for forming amechanical device encapsulated by the ceramic volume and disposed in theplumbing. The photostructurable ceramic volume encapsulating plumbing,the ceramic volume comprising an interface on a surface of the ceramicvolume, and the device material disposed in the plumbing can be used forforming a mechanical device having the device material. The ceramicvolume is a contiguous volume comprising a surface interface forcoupling a mechanical force with the device material.

The mechanical device may be a fluidic or gas piston or a valve that canbe manufactured by first patterning an embedded volume cavity with aphotostructurable ceramic that is connected to input and output conduitsor channels. In addition, other input and output channels are fabricatedthat connect to the embedded cavity but are orthogonal to the firstinput and output conduits. Within the embedded cavity, a block ofceramic in the shape of the cavity but slightly smaller is left duringthe chemical etching phase. The result is a free moving block of mattertrapped within the cavity. By forcing a liquid, paste, gas through oneof the input channels, the block is forced to move, by force pressure,to the opposite side allowing for liquid to pass through the inputconduit and its orthogonal input line. When a liquid, gas, paste is thenforced into one of the output lines, the block moves toward the initialinput port turning off the flow between the inputs and allowing for flowbetween the two orthogonal output lines.

This valve can be modified with the replacement of the embedded slidingceramic block with an embedded ceramic water wheel on a shaft. Whenliquid is forced through one of the input lines, the water wheel rotateson the shaft, and the liquid is forced through one of the output ports.A beam of light, such as from a laser LED, passes through thephotostructurable ceramic to scatter off the moving water wheel. Thescattered light is modulated by the spinning wheel rate, and thereforethe liquid flow can be measured. A similar device can be manufactured byremoving the water wheel and replacing it with a spinning microgear.

An ultrasonic mechanical transducer can be manufactured by firstfabricating an embedded cavity with input and output conduits.Cantilever-like structures are then fabricated within the cavity wherethe bases of the cantilevers are fixed rigidly to the cavity walls. Thecantilevers have small flat sections at the tips. The dimensions of thecantilevers determine their resonance frequency and bandwidth. Whensound strikes and travels through the photostructurable ceramic, thesound couples into the cantilever motions and vibrates the cantilevers.The vibration frequency is optically measured by scattering light offthe beams and measuring the amplitude modulation of the scattered light.

Another example of an embedded mechanical device is a magnetic actuator.A photostructurable glass ceramic material is first exposed bydirect-write laser patterning in the pattern of an actuator, such as aflat piston head that is connected to a meander spring. The actuatorpattern has input and output conduits. Hydrofluoric acid (HF) chemicalsmay be used to etch the ceramic into the shape of the piston head andmeandering spring pattern. Metal with magnetic properties, such asnickel or other metal alloys, is then injected into the cavities, themetal is made to harden to form the actuator that is surrounded by theceramic. A second laser direct-write laser patterning step then exposesthe regions around the actuator that must be released. This region isthen removed using the HF acid in concentrations that will etch theprocessed ceramic at about 18 microns/min at a faster rate than thenickel at about 1 micron/min. At the end of this process sequence, thereexists within an embedded cavity volume, an actuator, such as a pistonon a spring, that is free standing within the volume cavity. An externalmagnet lying on top of the photostructurable ceramic block is then usedto move the embedded piston actuator via magnetic coupling.

In the exemplar magnetomechanical nickel actuator, and during the nickelmetal injection process, a nickel and titanium alloy may be injected ora copper-zinc-aluminum-nickel alloy may be injected and hardened to ashape. After the metal injection, the next step is the process ofremoving the excess ceramic around the metal parts. Then a mechanicalactuator can be manufactured that uses the shape memory alloy principleto impart force by running a current through the actuator. Because themetal segments are connected to the external world via input and outputconduits, the attachment of electrical connections becomes practical.

Another magnetic device that can be affected by an external magneticsource is is the following. A photostructurable glass ceramic materialis first exposed by direct-write laser patterning in the pattern that isappropriate for the desired affect. The pattern which is connected byinput and output conduits is vacated by HF chemicals to yield a networkof interconnected cavities. The cavities are filled with magneticferrofluid. The input and output ports are sealed. When an externalmagnetic field, either permanent or via electromagnetic is applied theferrrofluid viscosity changes radically temporarily mechanicallystiffining the whole of the structure and providing a patterned magneticfield in the volume. When the external field is removed, the mechanicalstiffness of the structure is relaxed.

Referring to FIG. 4, an electronic device 400 can be made by inserting aconducting material. For example, a simple capacitor can be made,whereby the plumbing includes a top plate having a top conductor and atop interface, a bottom plate having a bottom conductor and a bottominterface, a left port and left conduit for inserting the top conductor,a right port and a right conduit for inserting the bottom conductor, atop port and top conduit for inserting the top plate, and a bottom portand bottom conduit for inserting the bottom plate. The top and bottominterfaces may be used to make electrical contact with the embeddedcapacitor.

The electronic device material may be disposed in the plumbing. Theelectronic device material forms an electronic device. An embeddedelectronic device may comprise the photostructurable ceramic volumeencapsulating plumbing, and the electronic device material disposed inthe plumbing. The device material is an electronic material for formingan electronic device encapsulated by the ceramic volume and disposed inthe plumbing. The ceramic volume is a contiguous volume having a surfaceinterface for coupling an electronic signal with the device material.The electronic signal is communicated along a conduction path in theplumbing. The electronic signal may be supplied by an external signalsource such as an electrical signal generator. The embedded electronicdevice may comprise one or more of sensors, cancellators, absorbers,isolators, converters, and/or conductors. The embedded electronic devicehas interaction properties that may comprise one or more ofcommunication, reception, transmission, amplification, filtration,and/or dissipation.

The electronic device can be discrete components such as resistors,inductors, and transformers for DC and RF applications. An embeddedchannel within a photostructurable ceramic is patterned and the materialin the channel removed. The channel has input and output conduits andports. For a DC/AC current resistor, low temperature, such as less than450° C. melting metal, which may be aluminum or metal paste, is pressureforced through the channel until the material exits at the output port.The resistance value is set by the natural conductivity of the pasteafter curing and by the channel dimensions. When the channel pattern isin the form of a coiled spring, then an inductor can be so fashioned.When a coiled spring of radius R1 is patterned within a coiled spring ofradius R2, where R1 is less than R2, then an embedded transformer can beso fashioned.

To make a dielectric material capacitor, two conducting stacked channelsare separated by a ceramic layer. Two embedded volume cavities arefashioned with an input port and an output port. The two volume cavitiesare separated by a predetermined distance. Both cavities are filled withmetal via paste or low temperature melting metal. The cured paste orcooled metal makes a path that will conduct electricity. The stackeddevice is a capacitor. A power source is connected to one of the inputports of one cavity to the input port of the other stacked cavity. Threestacked and embedded cavities can be manufactured with each cavityhaving an input port and an output port, with the middle cavityseparated from the cavity next to it through a very thin wall, forexample, less than 20 microns. The middle cavity input and output portsare first temporarily sealed. The top and bottom cavities are filledwith metal to form a conductor or conducting volumes. The middle cavityports are opened and an acid wash is run to etch away the thin walls.The middle cavity is then filled with a dielectric material to achievehigher capacitance. The manufacturing technique is conducted in stepsthat can be used to make a storage battery where the top cavity isfilled with a positive electrode material, the bottom cavity is filledwith a negative electrode material, and the middle cavity is filled withan electrolyte.

For RF and microwave applications, such as at 10 GHz as required bywaveguides, the channels are not filled with metal paste, but thechannel walls may be coated by metal via chemical vapor depositiontechniques. A metal organic gas is allowed to enter all of the vacantand patterned channels. The chemical vapor deposition temperature andthe gas chemistry are used to deposit and coat the walls of the channelswith the appropriate metal to make a RF waveguide. Metal microstructurescan be fabricated within the waveguides for efficient launching of theRF energy into the waveguide. Similarly, the channel dimensions andshapes allow for various waveguide configurations and modes ofoperation. To make a dielectric resonator oscillator, a nearby but notconnected volume cavity that is metal coated can be filled withdielectric material. The combination of a resonator, microstructure, andwaveguide becomes a tuned circuit.

At some frequencies and with specific channel dimensions, the channelscan be filled with a ferromagnetic material that allows the propagationof RF waves with the ability for low forward insertion loss and highreverse attenuation loss. With ferrite materials, it is practical tomake phase shifters. One phase shifter design may use a rectangularembedded channel that has the walls covered by metal with a ferritematerial toroid in the middle of the rectangular waveguide. Tomanufacture this device, three rectangular channel waveguides are madethat are initially separated by a thin ceramic wall, such as less than100 microns. The center waveguide is in the shape of a rectangulartoroid with structural supports. A ferrite material is injected in themiddle waveguide leaving the center waveguide free. The device is thenplaced into a small chemical etch bath to etch down the thin walls. Thedevice is then placed into a chemical vapor deposition chemical reactorto metal coat the two rectangular side chambers. The final device is anonreciprocal latching phase shifter using a ferrite toroid.

RF antennas can also be fashioned by patterning the shape of embeddedantenna in the form of embedded channels with an input conduit and anoutput conduit. The fabricated device, with embedded channels andcavities in the form of an antenna, is then exposed a second time to UVlight. The whole device is then processed in a bake step to form apreponderance of lithium disilicate crystals. The converted material,still with empty channels, is then filled with metal paste or lowtemperature melting metal, such as less than 450° C., and cured. Theconversion of the ceramic to grow lithium disilicate crystals reducesthe RF absorption properties of the ceramic for producing embedded RFantennas.

Referring to FIG. 5, a magnetic or electromagnetic device 500 can bemade by inserting or creating a conducting embedded material. Thematerial can be created by insertion or by optional processing of theceramic material in situ. The electromagnetic device can be an antennafor communicating an RF or microwave signal. For insertion, the plumbingincludes a conductor, a conductor port, and a conductor interface. Aftera conducting material is inserted into the conductor conduit, theconductor conduit can be laser treated to ablate a top ablated sectionof the conducting material in the conductor conduit so as toelectrically disconnect the port from the conductor for improvedisolation. Likewise, an antenna port, antenna conduit, and the antennacan be made by conducting material insertion through the antenna port,antenna conduit, and antenna that may be in the shape of a coil. Theconducting material in the antenna conduit can be ablated to isolate theantenna from the port. In the case of an antenna, only one interface maybe required. The distinction between electronic, magnetic, andelectromagnetic is not determinative because as the electromagneticdevice can be characterized by communicating in whole or in part an RFor microwave signal having both electric and magnetic waves.

The magnetic device material forms an electromagnetic device. Anembedded magnetic device may comprise a photostructurable ceramic volumeencapsulating plumbing. The ceramic volume may comprise an interface ona surface of the ceramic volume. The ceramic volume may further comprisea port and a port conduit. The magnetic or electromagnetic device may beone or more of antennas, modulators, mixers, coils, splitters,combiners, cancellators, absorbers, isolators, and/or converters. Theelectromagnetic device may interact with an electromagnetic wave. Theinteraction may be one or more of communication, reception,transmission, attenuation, filtration, separation, combination, and/orabsorption of the electromagnetic wave. The electromagnetic wave may becommunicated along a path in the plumbing within the embedded electronicdevice. The electromagnetic wave may be supplied by an external sourcesuch as a remote antenna.

In RF applications, the characteristic material property measurement isthe loss tangent that represents the imaginary and real values of thematerial dielectric, and the relative permittivity. The measured losstangent and permittivity values at 8 to 12 GHz are about 5×10⁻³ and5.6×10⁻³, respectively, for one commercially available photostructuralceramic. The loss tangent, which can be related to the signalattenuation factor, is roughly half that of an unexposed area.Consequently, the RF signals can penetrate into the ceramic volume andare coupled into an embedded operational material, which is constitutedby the crystalline material, which has a lower RF loss. The measured RFproperty values represent one state of the processed ceramic. There areother ceramic states of this material, and there are other materialformulations that will yield other ceramic states. Consequently, it ispossible to “engineer” a material formulation that will yield more RFcompatible ceramics. The measured values for photostructurable ceramicscan be compared with other common electronic materials. The hightemperature crystalline state of some ceramics is found to have less RFloss than 8×10⁻³ and nearly 10 times the loss when compared to alumina.A horn antenna can be fabricated that has features that enhance theantenna properties that cannot be easily fabricated with alumina orother conventional materials. It is known from antenna simulations thata horn antenna benefits from having an E-plane and H-plane baffle. Thesebaffles increase the antenna aperture efficiency by a factor 4 and thegain by 6 db. These baffles can be 3D structures that reside within thechamber of the horn. A 3D corkscrew antenna structure can also bepatterned into the volume. The antenna structure can be approximately 10mm in diameter across, 2.3 mm deep, and embedded within a 1-cm-square,3-mm-thick ceramic volume, with the corkscrew path being only 350microns wide and 100 microns thick. When the application requires higherconducting paths with lower electrical resistance, then the exposedpatterned structure is baked which results in the growth of etchablecrystalline phase.

A magnetic device that may include an embedded circular-shaped channelmay be fashioned in the form of a 3D coil by laser direct-write exposurepatterning. The ceramic is then processed for removal by chemicaletching the material within the exposure volume. Using the input andoutput conduits, the low temperature melting metal or metal paste isinjected into the cavity. The injected material is cured by coolingmolten metal or by baking metal paste. The resulting pattern is aconductor in the form of a coil. When a current is passed through thecoil, it will act as an electromagnetic device setting up a magneticfield that runs the axis of the coil. A permanent magnet near theelectromagnet will feel the force.

The magnetic device may be a magnet. An embedded cavity may be patternedinto the photostructurable volume using laser direct-write patterning.The cavity may be connected with small input and output conduits. Thematerial may be processed to remove the ceramic in the patterned areasresulting in a large embedded cavity that is connected by smaller inputand output channels. A magnetic material is injected into the embeddedcavity and cured in the presence of magnetic fields. An acid etch isused to remove the magnetic material within the input and outputconduits, but not in the center embedded volume. The result is a ceramicmaterial that is functionalized by an embedded magnet. Because themagnet is patterned within the ceramic, the magnetic force emanatingfrom the ceramic will also have a distinct pattern.

Referring to FIG. 6, an embedded optical device 600 may be made byinserting an optical material, such as molten glass, in opticallycompatible polymer or liquid. In a first set of illustrative processsteps, a lens cavity may be formed along with a top and bottom conduitfor inserting a lens optical material in the lens cavity. In a secondset of illustrative process steps, left and right waveguide cavities arecreated and also inserted with an optic material respectively throughleft and right ports and conduits. Thus, three in-line cavities areformed. The ends of the left waveguide and right waveguide form opticalinterfaces through which photons are communicated. A light sourceprovides an optical wave that can be communicated along and through theleft and right waveguides and the lens as an embedded optical device. Anoptical wave may be communicated along a path in the plumbing within theembedded electronic device. The optical wave may be supplied by anexternal source, such as the light source.

The embedded optical device comprises a photostructurable ceramic volumecavity or an encapsulating plumbing; the embedded ceramic volume orplumbing serves as a connection interface to the surface. The ceramicvolume may further comprise a port and a port conduit. The ceramicvolume may further be comprised of shaped surface interfaces. Inaddition, the photostructurable ceramic may be used to write waveguidesby pulsed laser compaction. A femtosecond pulsed laser may be used tocompact the glass to raise the value of the local index of refractionabove its surrounding area and thereby guide light within the higherindex material. Consequently, a complex optical device may be assembled,which includes fabricated plumbing and compacted, higher index, glass.

The end of a laser compacted optical waveguide can include an embeddedcavity that is fashioned with the cavity remaining a void and filledwith anything, such as air. Positive or negative curvature lens can beformed and used to focus or diverge the light emanating from thewaveguide. A mirror to bend the light at an abrupt angle may be madeusing evaporated metal. To make a lens, the embedded cavity wall isshaped with a positive or negative curvature, with the shaped wall beinggeometrically placed in front of the optical waveguide end point. Tomake a mirror, the embedded cavity walls must be flat and at an angle tothe waveguide to induce total internal reflection. The photostructurableceramic volume with encapsulating plumbing is first fabricated to havecurved walls. The material may be exposed by a laser direct-writeprocess, baked, and chemically etched. The baked material then undergoesanother low temperature anneal, such as between 425°-450° C. for 10hours, after chemical etching to smooth the walls. The resulting devicemay then be placed in a femtosecond laser direct-write patterning toolto manufacture the optical waveguides.

When the manufactured cavity with encapsulated plumbing is filled withoptically active material then the device may alter the properties ofthe guided light in the photostructurable ceramic by optical filteringor harmonic generation. For example, if the active material is opticallyactive, and when the guided light is intense like a laser, it ispossible to induce harmonic generation, frequency up conversion, Ramanexcitation frequency shifting, amplitude modulation, phase modulation,optical gain, and fluorescence. The different possibilities are theresult of what optical material is placed in the embedded cavity. Forexample, when the embedded cavity is filled with many of the aliphatic,aromatic, or mercaptan chemical compounds, such as benzene andderivatives, stimulated Raman and optical frequency shifting can bemade. When the embedded cavity is filled with dyes, such as laser dyes,then optical fluorescence can be realized. However, when the dye is alsooptically excited, then optical gain can also be realized.

An electrooptic device may be manufactured when a three-stack embeddedcavity structure is manufactured in a photostructurable ceramic, eachstack having encapsulated plumbing with input and output conduits. Thetop and bottom cavities may be filled with metal either through a pasteor low temperature molten metal while the center cavity is temporarilysealed until the metal is cured. The seal may be removed, and an opticalmedium is placed within the center cavity. A voltage may be applied tothe top and bottom cavities. Depending on the optical material insertedinto the center cavity, the optical polarization of an incident light,such as through the Kerr effect, can be controlled. Consequently, thedevice can modulate the light and provide light shuttering. When theoptical medium is a liquid crystal, the optical transmission propertiescan be also changed.

The embedded optical device can be a periodically poled nonlinearoptical device. In the stacked three-cavity device, a slurry ofbirefringent nanoparticles is first injected into the center cavitybefore metallization. Then, the other two cavities may be filled withmetal and cured. A high voltage is applied, and the device is placed inan oven for 5-10 hours. The resulting device may be an encapsulatednonlinear optical device that has been poled and quasiphase matched tothe input wavelength. The periodically poled nonlinear optical devicemay have 20 times the efficiencies of frequency up conversion thannonperiodically poled nonlinear optical device materials.

Glass and ceramics are optically good materials in the visible and thenear infrared. Below two or three microns, silica-based glasses andceramics absorb optical radiation. The embedded device can extend theoptical operational range of these materials to farther in the IR or inUV. An array of embedded channels may be processed in photostructurableceramic. The embedded cavities may have encapsulated plumbing with inputand output ports. In this device, the input and output conduits and theembedded cavity all have the same dimensions. The cavities allow forinput radiation to pass through to a pixilated detector in the back. Ineach embedded channel, a material is injected that has transmissionproperties at wavelengths that are beyond that of the encapsulatingglass. For example, a hole may be used for very UV (e.g., shortwavelength) radiation, a scintillating material may be used for Gammaradiation, bare glass may be used for visible and IR radiation, andchalcogenide-based nanoparticles may be used for mid IR radiation.

The optical device may be one or more of lens, mirrors, reflectors,splitters, combiners, modulators, filters, polarizers, absorbers,emitters, detectors, converters, prisms, separators, gratings, and/orfibers. The optical device interacts with an optical wave. Theinteraction may be one or more of communication, reception,transmission, reflection, separation, conversion, concentration, and/orabsorption of the optical wave.

Referring to FIG. 7, an acoustic device 700 may be made by inserting anacoustic material through top and bottom ports and conduits in a firstillustrative set of process steps. In a second set of illustrativeprocess steps, an acoustic guide device may be formed using an acousticinterface, an acoustic guide, and a guide port. The acoustic interfacecouples to an acoustic wave from an acoustic wave source, such as anultrasonic generator, travels through an acoustic guide device and isabsorbed by the acoustic material functioning as an acoustic absorber.The embedded acoustic device may comprise a photostructurable ceramicvolume with encapsulating plumbing with an acoustic interface on asurface of the ceramic volume. The acoustic wave is communicated along apath in the plumbing of the embedded acoustic device. The input acousticwave may be supplied by an external source. The acoustic device may beone or more of a sensor, cancellator, absorber, isolator, converter,phase delay line, focusing structure and/or conduit. The acoustic deviceinteracts with the acoustic wave. The interaction is one or more of acommunication, reception, transmission, and absorption of the acousticwave.

It is known that sound travels at different velocities in differentmaterials. Photostructurable ceramic provides a speed of sound thatvaries by about 10% depending on whether the sound is traveling throughthe glass or a particular ceramic material. This difference in soundvelocity could be further enhanced by inserting other materials in theprior fabricated plumbing. An acoustically driven device may bemanufactured by fabricating a photostructurable ceramic volume withencapsulating plumbing that includes an input port and an output port.In addition, other ports are patterned to the center embedded cavity andchemically etched. These other ports are aligned in a geometricarrangement that will control the travelling sound waves. The two inputand output ports are temporarily sealed, and material in the form of apaste or high viscosity liquid, for example, is forced through theadditional ports. The conduit may be filled but the center embeddedcavity may not be filled. The type of material chosen for filling theconduits are materials where sound travels at higher speed than theceramic, such as a metal or material of a lower density (such as air gapor another lower density material, for example, a paste). These may besound-driver conduits. An advantage of the invention is the ability topattern in 3D the length of the sound-driver conduits to precisionwithin a fraction of the acoustic wavelength. After the material isplaced in the channel and cured then liquids and gases are broughtthrough the initial input conduit, through the center embedded cavityand out through the output conduit. Sound as generated from apiezoelectric device or other acoustic device, such as a microphone, ornatural ambient noise is generated/coupled at the input of thesound-driver conduits. The sound will also couple or enter other partsof the material that do not have the conduits. As the sound travelsthrough the material and the sound-driver conduits, the precise lengthof the conduit defines the phasing of the sound energy in relation tothe ambient sound traveling through the medium. It can be designed suchthat the sound waves meet in phase or out phase at the center of thecavity containing a fluid or gas. If they are in phase, the result is asevere coherent disturbance of the medium within the center cavity, toinduce a local explosion, severe agitation, or chemical reaction. Ifthey are exactly out of phase, then there is a local cancellation ofsound energy leaving the area undisturbed. Furthermore, by setting thephasing properly along with numerous patterned sound-driver conduits, itis possible to induce motion or vorticity in the liquid or gas locatedin the center cavity. This vortice motion can be used to flip or rotatebiological material, such as cells, that are flowing in the liquid.

As an example, a number of devices can be developed if the acousticvelocity can controllably be set and the path (e.g., sound-driverconduits) patterned with high precision. Beyond just the ability to makelenses for concentrating acoustic energy, it is possible to make phasedarray emitters and analog mixers in glass. A phased array emitter, asillustrated in FIG. 8A, may comprise many sound-driver conduits suchthat there is a specific relationship in the wavelength phase among theemitters which enables the output to have directionality. That is, theconduits may have a fixed relative length delay lines. A secondpotential device is an analog mixer, as illustrated in FIG. 8B. A keyelement in any mixer is the delay line. If two sound sources impinge ona piece of processed glass that includes sound-driver conduits (e.g.,delay lines) of specific lengths that may be sized to introduce anacoustic delay in one conduit relative to the other, then at a specificphysical space where these two delay lines cross, the output sound willbe mixed. For example, it is possible to mix two 25 MHz basebandfrequency channels, in a 2-mm-thick structured glass ceramic wherein oneconduit has a length different from the other so as to cause an acousticdelay in one relative to the other. With higher patterning precision, itis also possible to mix acoustic energy at GHz frequencies. With theright kind of transducer (e.g., electrical antenna+piezomaterial), it ispossible to directly convert GHz electromagnetic radiation directly toacoustic frequencies.

A third example is the development of a liquid or gas pump that may beprimarily driven by acoustic energy, as illustrated in FIG. 8C. A smallchannel is first patterned and structured that will convey the gas orliquid. Around this channel and over a fixed length are fabricatedsound-driver conduits that convey sound from the surface to the channel.Sound-driver conduits are patterned at repeated intervals in sequenceand along the length of the channel such that there is an alternating inphase conduit and an out of phase conduit. The in phase conduits arepoints of high acoustic energy, where the sound is compounded, while theout of phase conduits are places where the sound is canceled. As thesound travels into the media, the in phase conduits will tend to pushthe material that is in the channel into the out of phase segments wherethere is relative calm.

Referring to all of the Figures, the encapsulated devices typically haveinterfaces and ports for external communications by way of chemicals,mechanical forces, electrical signals, electromagnetic signals, opticalsignals, and acoustic signals. A port is generally used for insertingmaterials, or for communicating device stimulus and reactions, includingphotons, acoustic waves, chemical gases and fluids, electrical signals,electromagnetic waves, and mechanical forces for interaction with theembedded devices. The ports are typically used for the injection of thedevice materials. The ports and conduits may retain a portion of thedevice material after processing. At times, it may be necessary torelease a portion of the device from runners contained within theconduit for operational isolation between the device and the runners.For example, the piston can be released. A release well is a cavityformed in the volume to collect debris from ablating the runner in theconduit for releasing the piston. Also, thin conduction lines may bethin enough to induce ablation by focused laser light so as to provideelectrical isolation of an embedded electrical device. In some designs,the ports can be used as an injection port during fabrication and as aninterface during operation, such as for bonding wires in the case ofelectrical signals or coupling signals, waves, and chemicals to externalsources. The bonding wires may be attached to a package. The volumeexterior surface may be milled or molded to shape for conformalpackaging. A patterning design can be used in combination with apressure extrusion process for inserting materials into or out of theentry and exit ports that are on different faces of the encapsulatingceramic volume. With this extrusion approach, the flowing conductingmedium can be forced in from one face, through the photostructurablevolume, and out the other face.

A conducting paste epoxy can be used for inserting a conducting materialin the photostructurable volume. These materials are manufactured with avariety of viscosities, conductivities, and cure hardening times. Thesematerials are a suspension of metallic particles usually in an organicbinder. These materials cure at temperatures of 100° C., but highertemperatures are possible just as long as it is below the glasstransition of the photostructurable glass. For a particular commercialvariety the glass transition is at 465° C. A force extrusion process isused to fill the embedded plumbing cavities with the conductingcompound. A final step is to wipe all the surfaces with a cleaningsolution to remove excess material and then bake the device in an ovento cure and globally anneal the inserted compound. The resulting part isa glass ceramic package encapsulating a metallic structure. Todemonstrate the process, straight holes can be metalized with a silverpaste for forming an embedded conducting segment connected to input andoutput electrical connection interface pads.

In addition to using high-pressure extrusion to force metal compoundsinto the plumbing cavities, a wick process can be used to wick moltenmetal into the cavities. Heat can be used to raise the structuredceramic sample temperature up to about 600° C., to maintain mostlyamorphous glass, and not lose feature resolution. When a small amount ofquartz, such as crystobalite, within the amorphous glass, can betolerated in the application, then a second exposure and bake protocolof the structured sample (temperatures approaching 800° C.) arepossible. Consequently, any metal or a fusible alloy, that is aneutectic alloy capable of being fused and liquefied by heat, such assolders, that melts at a lower temperature, may be wicked into thecavities, such as aluminum at 659° C., tin at 232° C., zinc at 419° C.,and indium at 156° C.

The method can be used to imprint functional paths, such as conductingpaths, in the structured component. This includes additional steps, butis more versatile and allows for different types of material propertiesto be enabled for more than just electrically conducting, but alsomagnetic and thermally conducting, as well as others. There is thedevelopment of photocurable polymers, photocurable suspensions,photocurable epoxies, and photocurable ceramics. All these materialsinclude a photosensitizer that is used to initiate the curing or fixingprocess. The photofixing process can be either done through one or twophotonic nonlinear mechanisms. In some cases, the photocuring process isa cross-linking of molecules. In other cases, the photo initiationentails a direct molecular transformation. Regardless of the mode ofoperation, photocuring materials can be used as part of an embeddeddevice disposed in the volume.

It should now be apparent that it is possible to apply differentmaterials having different physical properties, such as differentmagnetic, electronic, thermal, optical, and conducting properties, intoselected plumbing cavities of a photoceramic volume. Because thematerials cure after photoexcitation or photopolymerization, and becausea laser direct-write patterning tool can be used to pattern the initialceramic material, the process may comprise sets of sequences of steps,for depositing the respective materials. A first material may be aphotoinduced electrically conductive material that is forced into theplumbing cavities. The surface is wiped for cleaning, and thelaser-patterning tool is operated over the select regions. In theseregions, the material is polymerized or cured and becomes harder andcould even be chemically bonded to the ceramic cavity surfaces. Ifnecessary, the volume is then placed into the force extrusion tool, anda solvent solution is run to clear out the other cavities not exposedbut filled with unexposed material. A second material with a differentphysical property is placed into the extrusion tool and forced intoremaining plumbing cavities. The volume is then placed under the laserdirect-write pattern tool again and other embedded cavities or segmentsare polymerized. The process then repeats with a third or fourth set ofphotoinitiated materials. Upon completion, encapsulated within a ceramicvolume are adjoining structures that have different physical properties.

Using wavelength-sensitized materials, an automated tool can be usedthat incorporates the forced extrusion of chemicals and photomaterials,with a flood exposure at selective wavelengths, thereby removing theneed for direct-write patterning. It should also be apparent that manynovel types of devices can be fabricated.

An advantage of this invention is the ability to integrate devices thatcontrol acoustic, electrical, mechanical, chemical, optical, andmagnetic properties all onto to a common platform, that is, a singleglass ceramic volume. This enables the placement of multiplefunctionalities on to a common platform, such as to provide power orenergy to an adjoining system. By a sequential patterning (i.e.,exposure), and a series of steps that include filling and plugging, itis possible to build into a glass ceramic volume plumbing that willsupport the transfer and control of acoustic, electrical, mechanical,chemical, optical, and/or magnetic properties. For example, it ispossible to build an optical plumbing that is encapsulated (top andbottom) by electrical plumbing. To fabricate this device, all thenecessary plumbing for both electrical and optical may be patterned(e.g., direct-write laser exposure) in the glass ceramic material. Theexposed material is baked and then chemically etched to remove the areaswhere new material is to be introduced. Selected conduits may be firstplugged. The material with the highest processing temperature isintroduced first into the open plumbing conduits; this introduction canbe done via gas, liquid, or high pressure force until all the desiredconduits have been filled with the new material. The sample is thenprocessed (e.g., baked) to insure that the material in the plumbing isset. If the new material is not a solid, then the conduits arephysically plugged. Second, the plugs covering the empty conduits areremoved, and the second material is introduced using the same approachesas described above. In the example being described, the metal in theform of paste, or chemical vapor deposition gas, or low meltingtemperature liquid (e.g. indium) is introduced in the electricalplumbing conduits. The entrance and exit of these conduits are sealed(e.g., plugged). Depending on the type of metal, a baking step may benecessary to increase the conductivity of the metal. The plumbingconduits for the optical material are then opened, and an opticalmaterial is then introduced (for example, a liquid that displays theoptical Kerr effect). The entrance and exit of the optical plumbingconduits are plugged. The design is such that the optical axis of thedevice does not intersect the entrance and exit ports. The electricalplumbing conduit plugs are removed, and wire or other attachment to anexternal power source is connected (e.g., soldering). The integratedsystem, which is on a common glass ceramic platform, has an opticaldevice and an electrical device which for this example will induce achange in the optical polarization of transmitted light as a function ofthe applied voltage.

The system could be more complex by fabricating with the devicestructures that focus or alter the properties of the light before itreaches the Kerr effect liquid. With the same fabrication approach asdescribed above but with an open channel for liquid flow, acousticsound-driver structures for pumping the liquid and nearby electrical ormagnetic plumbing conduits may make a chemical reactor or filter. Usingthis sequential fabrication approach, one of ordinary skill in the artcan manufacture complex systems that include acoustic, electrical,mechanical, chemical, optical, and magnetic properties all on a commonplatform. The materials that can be used to fill the plumbing could bein the form of pastes, liquids, gas, nanoparticles, or biologicalmaterial. Because glass ceramics are known for their high stiffnessproperties, the viscosity of the material to be introduced could bequite high for a given applied force. Similarly, for a given viscosityand applied force, the high stiffness properties of the glass ceramicsallow for smaller plumbing diameters to be fabricated which enables theminiaturization of complex systems.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention set forthherein will be apparent having the benefit of the teachings presented inthe foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it isto be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specificembodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments areintended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a genericand descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

1. An embedded optical device, comprising: a photostructurable ceramic volume encapsulating plumbing; and device material disposed in the plumbing, the device material being an optical material that forms an optical device encapsulated by the ceramic volume.
 2. The embedded optical device of claim 1, wherein the ceramic volume including a surface interface for coupling an optical wave with the device material.
 3. The embedded optical device of claim 1, wherein the embedded optical device comprises one or more of a lens, mirror, reflector, splitter, combiner, modulator, filter, polarizer, absorber, emitter, detector, converter, prism, separator, grating, scatterer or fiber.
 4. The embedded optical device of claim 1, wherein: the embedded optical device interacts with an optical wave through interaction; and the interaction comprises at least one of communication, reception transmission, reflection, separation, conversion, concentration or absorption.
 5. An embedded optical device, comprising: a photostructurable ceramic volume encapsulating plumbing; device material disposed in the plumbing and forming an optical device, the ceramic volume comprising a surface interface for coupling an optical wave with the device material; and the optical device comprising at least one of a lens, mirror, reflector, splitter, combiner, modulator, filter, polarizer, absorber, emitter, detector, converter, prism, separator, grating, scatterer or fiber, the optical device interacting with the optical wave through interaction; and the interaction comprising at least one of communication, reception, transmission, reflection, separation, conversion, concentration or absorption.
 6. An embedded optical device, comprising: a photostructurable ceramic volume encapsulating plumbing, the ceramic volume comprising an interface on a surface of the ceramic volume for coupling an optical wave; device material disposed in the plumbing, the device material forming an optical device, the embedded optical device comprising at least one of a lens, mirror, reflector, splitter, combiner, modulator, filter, polarizer, absorber, emitter, detector, converter, prism, separator, grating, scatterer or fiber, the optical device interacting with the optical wave through interaction; and the interaction comprising at least one of communication, reception, transmission, reflection, separation, conversion, concentration or absorption.
 7. The embedded optical device of claim 6, wherein the ceramic volume comprises a homogeneous volume of unexposed photostructurable ceramic material encapsulating the device material.
 8. The embedded optical device of claim 6, further comprising: a port on a surface of the ceramic volume; and a port conduit coupled to the port and plugged at least in part by the device material.
 9. The embedded optical device of claim 6, wherein the plumbing having shapes including at least one of a cavity, via, tank, void, bubble, tube, conduit, gap, well, sphere, plenum, tunnel, plate, coil, feedthrough or guide.
 10. The embedded optical device of claim 6, wherein the plumbing communicates the optical wave within the embedded optical device.
 11. The embedded optical device of claim 6, wherein the optical wave is supplied by an external source.
 12. The embedded optical device of claim 6, wherein the ceramic volume comprises a homogenous volume of unexposed photostructurable ceramic material encapsulating the device material which comprises a glass ceramic that has been transformed to have predetermined optical properties.
 13. A method of making an embedded optical device, comprising: photostructuring plumbing in a ceramic volume by selective laser exposure of the ceramic volume; and forming an optical device in the plumbing.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the optical device comprises at least one of a phased lens, mirror, reflector, splitter, combiner, modulator, filter, polarizer, absorber, emitter, detector, converter, prism, separator, grating, scatterer or fiber.
 15. The method of claim 13, wherein the ceramic volume further includes at least one of a photostructurable chemical device, photostructurable electrical device, photostructurable magnetic device, photostructurable mechanical device or photostructurable acoustic device.
 16. The method of claim 13, further comprising: forming a port in an outer surface of the ceramic volume; and forming a conduit interfacing the port to the optical device. 